Means for mounting bolt-actuating device for firearms



Oct. 26, 1965 o. HoRsRUD 3,213,558

MEANS FOR MOUNTING BOLTACTUATING DEVICE FOR FIREARMS Filed March 4, 1964 H Il will @Im 32 2 INVENTOR OLE HORSRUD, DECEASED, BY HELEN H. ASKER, EXECUTRIIX AT TORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,213,558 MEANS FOR MUNTING BOLT-ACTUATING DEVCE EUR FIREARMS le Horsrud, deceased, late of Fox River Grove, Ill., by Helen H. Asker, execntrix, Crystal Lake, lll., assigner to The High Standard Manufacturing Corporation, Hamden, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Mar. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 350,631 3 Claims. (Cl. 42-17) This invention relates to means for actuating the bolt of a firearm, and it relates more particularly to means for mounting a cooking lever for a firearm of the type employing a bolt and a slide which reciprocates the bolt into and out of chamber-closing position and also locks and unlocks the bolt upon movement relative thereto when the bolt is closed.

In firearms of the above-mentioned type, the bolt re ciprocates within the receiver between its forward, chamber-closing position and its rear, or open, position. The bolt is carried, or partially carried, in such reciprocating movement by the slide which, as the forward motion of the bolt is Vstopped upon reaching battery position, continues to move forward relative to the bolt into a boltlocking position. In order to unlock the bolt, the slide is first moved rearwardly relative to the bolt, which upon being unlocked then travels rearwardly in unison with the slide.

This type of action is used in both manual and socalled automatic guns, the slide being usually connected by one or more action ba-rs to a gas-operating mechanism in the forearm, in the case of the automatic, and to the forearm slide in the case of a pump gun, for example. In automatic or semi-automatic guns of this kind, a separate lever for manually cooking the gun is provided adjacent the bolt and slide within convenient reach of the shooter. This cocking lever is usually connected to, or integral with, the action bar and projects laterally through an elongated slot in one side of the receiver. However, in certain cases, it is desirable to attach the cocking lever directly to the bolt and slide assembly, in which event, it is necessary to make the cooking lever readily detachable so that the gun can be disassembled easily.

It is a specific object of the present invention to provide a mechanically simple and inexpensive means for removably securing a cocking lever directly to the bolt and slide assembly in the above-mentioned type of firearm.

In general the present invention comprises the combination of a bolt-actuating lever mounted between the bolt and slide in a fire arm of the kind referred to hereinabove. The lever has an enlarged base with a portion projecting laterally therefrom, and a recess is formed in the engaging surfaces between the bolt and slide to receive the base thereby confining it against movement late-rally. A second recess is formed in the slide and opens laterally from the first recess to the side of the slide in order to receive the laterally projecting portion of the lever and to confine it against movement longitudinally of the slide. Thus, while the lever is confined by both the bolt and slide so that it cannot move laterally, it is nevertheless free to move with the slide relative to the bolt.

It will be apparent from the foregoing general statement of the invention that the recess, in which the base giiti Patented (Oct. 25, i955 of the lever is received in order to coniine the lever laterally, may be located in either or both the slide or the bolt, but that the recess confining the lever longitudinally of the slide is necessarily located in the slide. However, in the specific embodiment of the invention described hereinafter, it has been found desirable to locate the base of the lever entirely within a recess in the slide where it is retained in place by the bolt which rests against and is supported by the surface of the slide where the lever is located. It will also be apparent that, while the following detailed description and accompanying drawing illustrate a cooking lever, the invention may in certain cases be employed in attaching the action bar to the bolt and slide assembly.

A general object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a convenient means for connecting a bolt-actuating lever to the bolt and slide assembly of a firearm of this type. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description hereinafter of a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal section through the receiver of a firearm embodying the invention, but showing the action in full elevation, the bolt and slide assembly being shown during its return stroke;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. l, but with the rear of the receiver and parts of the slide and bolt broken away, and showing the bolt locked;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view in perspective of the bolt and slide assembly and action bar, all removed from the receiver.

The type of firearm in which the present invention is employed includes a bolt 10 carried by a bolt-slide l2, both of which reciprocate together within a receiver 14 into and out of battery position, in which the bolt closes the rear end of the cartridge chamber 16 in the barrel 18 rigidly mounted at the front end of the receiver. The firearm shown is a repeating shotgun in which cartridges are successively fed from a tubular magazine 20 below the barrel onto a carrier or cartridge lifter 22, which raises each cartridge into position in front of bolt 10, so that during its return stroke into battery position the cartridge is fed into the chamber 16. Since this general type of firearm action is used in rifles as Well as Shotguns, it is of course understood that the present invention may be used in various other types of firearms which employ this kind of action.

Bolt 10 is moved longitudinally by bolt-slide l2 which in turn is actuated by a pair of action bars 24, 24 connected adjacent their rear ends to slide I2 and at their front ends to a bolt actuating device (not shown), such as a gas-operated piston. In this instance, each action bar 24 is connected to slide 12 by a depending lug or tongue 26 in its lower edge which fits into a cut-out 28 in a laterally extending flange-rail 39 on each side of slide 12. Action bars 24 slide in longitudinally extending guide-grooves 32 in the vertical side walls of receiver 14, while iiange-rails Sti of the bolt-slide rest on the lower edges of grooves 32 and are partially guided thereby. Since action bars 24 are confined within guide-grooves 32 against vertical movement, they embrace bolt-slide l2 which reciprocates in unison therewith longitudinally of the receiver.

Bolt-slide 12 has, adjacent its outer edges, longitudinally extending, upwardly facing surfaces 34, on which bolt 10 rests. Correspondingly extending surfaces 36 are formed on the under side of bolt for continuous engagement with the upper surfaces 34 of slide 12, thus providing mutually engaging flat surfaces between these members. The upper surface of bolt 10 is shaped to fit the inner top surface of receiver 14, against which it bears. Consequently, bolt 10 is prevented from moving upwardly by the top of the receiver and downwardly by the 4bolt-slide 12, so that it is confined to longitudinal reciprocal movement within the receiver.

The usual cartridge extractor 3S and ejector 40 are provided on the bolt as shown. In addition, the trigger and cartridge-carrier mechanisms are assembled as a unit in a trigger-guard assembly 42 which is held between the side Walls of the receiver by a pair of mounting pins 44, 46. The upper edge of the frame of the trigger-guard assembly 42 is coextensive with the lower edges of grooves 32 in the side walls of the receiver so that when the slide and bolt are retracted as shown in FIG. l, they are supported by the upper edges of the frame for the triggerguard assembly. When it is desired to disassemble the gun, pins 44 and 46 are removed, permitting the triggerguard assembly 42 to be removed so that the bolt-slide 12 may be withdrawn through the opening in the underside of the receiver. The trigger 48, hammer 50 and cartridge carrier 22 are shown mounted on the trigger-guard assembly in their operative relationship with the bolt 10 `and slide 12.

As in prior rearm actions of the type herein described, provision is made for locking bolt 10 in its chamber-closing position against accidental opening due to the pressures developed upon iiring a cartridge. In this instance a vertically movable locking pin 52 is guided within a passage in bolt 10 so that it can be projected above the upper surface of the bolt into a recess 54 in the top of receiver 14 when the bolt is closed as shown in FIG. 2. Locking pin 52 is cammed upwardly into recess 54 and downwardly to a position below the top of bolt 10 by inclined ribs 56 formed in the sides of a central longitudinally extending inclined slot 58 at the front end of bolt-slide 12, the ribs 56 engaging similarly inclined grooves 60 on opposite sides of locking pin 52.

As will be seen by comparing FIGS. l and 2, bolt-slide 12 is permitted limited relative movement lengthwise of bolt 10 in addition to its movement in unison therewith. It is readily apparent that such limited relative movement between slide 12 and bolt 10 causes the locking pin 52 to be cammed `by the inclined ribs 56 and grooves 60 into and out of locking position. Thus, when the action is locked as shown in FIG. 2, slide 12 is moved forward relative to bolt 10 under the influence of a return spring (not shown), thereby camming locking pin 52 up into the recess 54 in the receiver. In order to unlock the bolt, the slide is moved rearward relative to the bolt, causing the inclined ribs 56 and grooves 60 to retract locking pin 52 until it drops below the upper surface of bolt 1t) so that the bolt is free to move rearward with the bolt-slide 12 as an internal shoulder 62 on the bolt-slide engages an abutment 64 on the underside ofthe bolt. The bolt and slide then move rearwardly together to their fully retracted position, from which they start the return stroke as shown in FIG. l.

When the front end of the bolt engages the rear face of the cartridge chamber 16, the forward travel of the bolt is arrested and the locking pin S2 is again aligned with the recess 54 in the receiver so that it can be cammed up into locking position as slide 12 continues forward with respect to bolt 10. The power required to unlock the bolt and to retract it may be provided by the aforementioned gas-operated piston acting through the action bars 24, 24, while the return stroke and lock-up of the bolt is brought about by a return spring which may be associated with the piston in the forearm assembly, none of which are shown in the drawings nor form any part of the present invention.

The foregoing description is only illustrative of a rearm action in which the present invention may be used. Where such a bolt-assembly is employed in `a semi-automatic firearm, such as a gas-operated weapon, it is necessary in order to initially load, cock or unload the gun to provide a handle or cocking lever, yso-called, for manually retracting the bolt against the pressure of the return spring and the hammer.

In accordance with the present invention, an extremely simple and inexpensive cocking lever 66 is conveniently attached directly to the bolt-slide 12 and projects outwardly through a longitudinally extending slot in the side of receiver 14 for reciprocation with the bolt-slide. A disk-shaped base 68 is provided on the inner end of cocking lever 66 for detachably securing it on the bolt and slide assembly. Base 68 is desirably a segment of a circle which ts into a similarly shaped recess 70 provided in one of the bolt-engaging surfaces 34 of slide 12. A shallow rectangular notch or recess 72 opens laterally from the recess 70 to the side of bolt-slide 12 in order to receive the at rectangular shank 74 of the ycocking lever at the point where it meets the flat upper edge of base 68. As shown in FIGS. l and 3, it is readily apparent that when the cocking lever 66 is located with its base 68 and shank 74 in the recesses 70 and 72, respectively, the cocking lever is effectively trapped within said recesses by the bolt 10 so that it can not move relative to the bolt-slide. At the same time, however, bolt-slide 12 is movable longitudinally of bolt 10, which nevertheless retains the base 68 of the cocking lever in the recess 70 despite the relative longitudinal movement between bolt 10 and slide 12. Moreover, for assembly purposes, the cocking lever of the present invention permits the bolt-slide to be readily removed from the receiver upon removal of the trigger-guard assembly 42. Thus, the bolt-slide drops down between a gap in the guide-groove 32, leaving the cocking lever 66 suspended in its slot through the side of the receiver 14. Being thus freed of its recess in the slide 12, the cocking lever may then be removed through the slot in the receiver. The bolt 10 can then be removed through the opening in the underside of the receiver.

While the cocking lever 66 is not rigid with respect to the bolt-slide 12 when the action is assembled, it is substantially xed thereto so that the slide may be operated manually. It should also -be pointed out that, if desired, the action bars 24, 24, instead of the cocking lever, could be similarly attached to the bolt-slide 12 in the same manner. The term bolt-actuating lever, therefore, as used in the claims hereinafter is intended to include any means which are connected to the bolt and slide for actuating these members in reloading the gun.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hrearm having a receiver, a barrel rigidly mounted at one end of said receiver, a bolt member supported within said receiver for longitudinal movement into and out of chamber closing relation with said barrel, and a slide member supported within said receiver for reciprocating said bolt member into and out of chamber `closing position, said slide member being disposed in juxtaposition with said bolt member and in continuous contact therewith along mutually engaging surfaces which extend longitudinally of said members, said slide and bolt members being movable longitudinally relative to each other and having means for limiting such relative longitudrnal movement such that said members can move in unlson, the improvement comprising in combination a bolt-actuating lever mounted between said bolt and slide members and having an `enlarged base with a narrower portion projecting laterally therefrom for moving said members longitudinally, at least one of said members having a rst recess in at least one of said mutually engagmg surfaces to receive and confine said base of said bolt-actuating lever against substantial movement laterally of said members, said slide member having a second narrower recess 1n its bolt-engaging surface adjacent said irst recess and opening laterally of said slide member into which said laterally projecting portion of said bolt-actuating lever fits for confining the same against substantial longitudinal movement with respect to said slide member, whereby said bolt-actuating lever is substantially fixed with respect to such slide member while being movable therewith longitudinally of said bolt member.

2. The combination dened in claim 1, wherein said rst recess is formed in said slide member.

3. The combination dened in claim 2, wherein said bolt-actuating lever is a hand cooking lever and said base 10 and rst recess are circular segments with said laterally projecting por-tion of said bolt-actuating lever providing a nger piece by which to retract said bolt and slide members, said laterally projecting portion joining said base centrally of the at edge defined by the chord of said circular segment.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A FIREARM HAVING A RECEIVER, A BARREL RIGIDLY MOUNTED AT ONE END OF SAID RECEIVER, A BOLT MEMBER SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID RECEIVER FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF CHAMBER CLOSING RELATION WITH SAID BARREL, AND A SLIDE MEMBER SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID RECEIVER FOR RECIPROCATING SAID BOLT MEMBER INTO AND OUT OF CHAMBER CLOSING POSITION, SAID SLIDE MEMBER BEING DISPOSED IN JUXTAPOSITION WITH SAID BOLT MEMBER AND IN CONTINUOUS CONTACT THEREWITH ALONG MUTUALLY ENGAGING SURFACES WHICH EXTEND LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID MEMBERS, SAID SLIDE AND BOLT MEMBERS BEING MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND HAVING MEANS FOR LIMITING SUCH RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT SUCH THAT SAID MEMBERS CAN MOVE IN UNISON, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A BOLT-ACTUATING LEVER MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID BOLT AND SLIDE PORTION PROJECTING LATERALLY THEREFROM FOR MOVING SAID MEMBERS LONGITUDINALLTERALLY THEREFROM FOR MOVING SAID MEMBERS LONGITUDINALLY, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING A FIRST RECESS IN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MUTUALLY ENGAGING SURFACES TO RCEIVE AND CONFINE SAID BASE OF SAID BOLT-ACTUATING LEVER AGAINST SUBSTANTIAL MOVEMENT LATERALLY OF SAID MEMBERS, SAID SLIDE MEMBER HAVING A SECOND NARROWER RECESS IN ITS BOLT-ENGAGING SURFACE ADJACENT SAID FIRST RECEISS AND OPENING LATERALLY OF SAID SLIDE MEMEBER INTO WHICH SAID LATERALLY PROJECTING PORTION OF SAID BOLT-ACTUATING LEVER FITS FOR CONFINING THE SAME AGAINST SUBSTANTIAL LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT WIT RESPECT TO SAID SLIDE MEMBER, WHEREBY SAID BOLT-ACTUATING LEVER IS SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED WITH RESPECT TO SUCH SLIDE MEMBER WHILE BEING MOVABLE THEREWITH LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID BOLT MEMBER. 